


this beat is sick

by brandywine421



Series: romcoms [5]
Category: Daredevil (TV), The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24262795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: "Just try it, oh my GOD," David said, banging his head on the keyboard."You've been doing so much better and Curt considers you his prize pupil in his PTSD recovery group - "  Sarah started.There were too many things wrong with that statement for him to address so he let her finish."And you keep whining about how hard it is to deal with a baby daughter - ""And Lisa is eight years old, if you keep calling her a baby she's going to keep acting like one and you'll never get laid - ""And you really need to get laid," David said, raising his head.  He hated when they brought out the tag-team nag.  "You take Lisa to that church every Sunday and bring home another flier for the single parenting group - "Sarah thumped him, frowning before turning soft eyes toward Frank.  "It's not a dating group, it's a support group for solo parents and what would it hurt, Frank?  We had a three hour conversation about flat irons last night and it was the second hair emergency this week - ""I don't understand girl hair, okay?" Frank threw his hands up.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Matt Murdock, Luke Cage/Jessica Jones
Series: romcoms [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1247531
Comments: 26
Kudos: 108
Collections: Fratt Week





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Q: How does a fic that starts out full of sads in theory end up as a rom-com? 
> 
> A: Disco sticks.

**_Let's have some fun,_ **   
**_This beat is sick_ **   
**_I wanna take a ride on your disco stick_ **

  
"Just try it, oh my GOD," David said, banging his head on the keyboard to drive home the dramatics. Frank was disappointed when he caught Sarah rolling her eyes and knew he'd lost her - she was on her husband's side for once.

"You've been doing so much better and Curt considers you his prize pupil in his PTSD recovery group - "

There were too many things wrong with that statement for him to address so he let her finish.

"And you keep whining about how hard it is to deal with a baby daughter - "

"And Lisa is eight years old, if you keep calling her a baby she's going to keep acting like one and you'll never get laid - "

"And you really need to get laid," David said, raising his head. He hated when they brought out the tag-team nag. "You take Lisa to that church every Sunday and bring home another very professional flier for the single parenting group - our synagogue still uses a black and white copier, those things are printed."

Sarah thumped him, frowning before turning soft eyes toward Frank. "It's not a dating group, it's a support group for solo parents and what would it hurt, Frank? We had a three hour conversation about flat irons last night and it was the second hair emergency this week - "

"I don't understand girl hair, okay?" Frank threw his hands up.

"Go to the meeting, man, I'll totally source you a list of beauty tutorials on YouTube and set up a playlist and everything if you just take one for the team and go to one meeting - "

"Two, at least," Sarah interjected. "You need other parents to consult because Leo's making me help her with her hair now and I have a real job."

"Two meetings and we'll drop it," David nodded. "How's that sound?"

"Unfair," Frank grumbled.

* * *

The blind man raised his finger to pause Frank's greeting and turned his head, letting out a low whistle. A small girl across the room froze with her hand almost wrapped around the carbonated soda one of the nuns was holding out. She immediately stuck out her bottom lip and murmured something that got her treat traded for juice.

"Sorry. She's a sugar fiend, Matt Murdock," the man introduced, relaxing and holding out his hand.

"Frank, um, Frank Castle. Nice to meet you. Luz is your kid?"

Matt's jaw twitched, but Frank didn't think it was an impolite question. He was the worst at small talk - he managed PTA membership with donations and cannollis - but - 

"Sorry, yes, just trying to figure out how I haven't met you before," Matt interrupted his thoughts. "You're Lisa's Dad. I have been told that your daughter is 'goals'," he nodded with finger quotes.

"So people keep saying, but I'm not sure what that means," Frank laughed. "I see you at church every Sunday sitting with the Sisters, never see you hang out to meet the locals."

"Matthew is as local as they come, Mr. Castle. Nice to see you finally took up the invitation, you both could use some support from these lascivious - "

"Maggie, don't start," Matt said to the nun who had a glare that could silence kids across a football field if Lisa was to be believed. Sister Maggie was terrifying but Matt seemed utterly playful - and her glare was more fond than scolding. "It's a single parent group, emphasis on single."

Sister Maggie glanced between them and Frank felt himself being sized up. He was glad he wore his nice Henley and trimmed his beard. "His best friend found three ex-girlfriends and his current boyfriend here over the past few years but Matthew comes for the conversation, of course."

"I do fine on my own, I keep coming because Luz is obsessed with having a mother," Matt grumbled.

"I think she'd accept a 'daddy', too, not that you'd accept either," Sister Maggie said and Frank choked slightly on his punch.

"Go away, you're being a nuisance and your granddaughter is about to play hairdresser with Skittles and glue with your orphans in the craft room," Matt said, sending her scurrying off with a flutter of her habit.

Oh, she was his mother. That was - that was something.

"It's common knowledge among the 'locals'," Matt grinned. "She was just riling you up, and being a snoop but - she's mostly right. Your first day, maybe only a couple will be brave enough to slip you their numbers, but make it to three meetings and you'll start getting hotel keys slipped in your diaper bag."

He wouldn't mind getting Matt's number but shuddered at the thought of opening himself up to dating any of the women watching him like hungry lionesses ready to add him to their pride.

"They do that to you?" Frank asked, the 'diaper bag' making him wonder how long Matt had been a single father - couldn't be easy for a blind guy.

"Only the newbies now - my wife passed when Luz was six months old and I still think the nosy Sisters started this whole thing to get me back on the wagon. I didn't manage too well the first couple of years - but being able to brainstorm with other parents has been a godsend."

Frank nodded. "I lost my wife and son three years ago, still don't think I'm managing too well. I don't want to fuck up the one thing I've got left, but Lisa's doing amazing and I'm still fumbling through my days."

"Fuck whatever the grief counselors or books tell you, man, you can't put a timeline on dealing with it. I still miss Claire and my best friend still lives in my house because I can't match Luz's clothes. I mean, dance uniforms - "

"God, don't talk about it, my PTSD group had to add it to my list of triggers when Lisa aged into Jazz."

The older lady who forced the fliers into Frank's hand after Mass almost every Sunday tapped a spoon against her coffee cup to call the group to order and the folded chairs slowly filled with people reluctantly drawn away from snacks and gossip.

"I would sit with you for support, but I have to stay with Sister Maggie or the nuns get grudgy," Matt said. "Check your pockets when I'm safely out of your space, Luz would never forgive me if I didn't give you my number for future playdate opportunities."

He was so shocked by the idea of his precious baby daughter asking him to set up a 'playdate' that he didn't get the giddy rush over getting a cute boy's number until he took the business card out of his pocket later. Matt was smooth - Frank didn't know when he'd slipped it into his pocket without him feeling the contact but he was flattered. 

(Maybe more than flattered since he called him the next day.)

* * *

  
Frank would reflect later on Sister Maggie's request that Matt always sit with her circle of dedicated Sisters in the public areas of the church - he hoped there were more reasons than her son's sinful mouth and blasphemous hands. He really hoped Sister Maggie had no idea what her son got up to - or down to - outside of the church boundaries.

Matt was not the innocent altar boy he pretended to be on Sundays - Matt was an argumentative bundle of flirt and jawline with an ass that drew his hands like a magnet.

Frank wasn't sure how play-dates worked out for children but he thoroughly enjoyed the first three coffee dates that turned into one of them, or both, going home with fingermarks on their thighs.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

"We're having emergency quiet time so Dad can't say hello yet but everything's totally fine," Luz greeted them, her dark brown eyes matching her father's even if her complexion and hair matched her late mother's features if the pictures lining the foyer were anything to go by. "Uncle Danny got dumped and has a lot of feelings about it even though he's like the _worst_ boyfriend ever."

Ah, the expensive car explained by the invisible housemate. Not that he'd begrudge anyone legal representation but he's relieved the playdate wasn't interrupting a rich legal client at the attached law office with a sign proudly displaying _'_ _Murdock, Stahl & Walters'_ in gold letters.

"We are a little early," Frank said but Lisa dropped his hand and gave her friend a hug.

"I remember the rules, we wont make a mess and I can see your toy room," Lisa nodded.

Toy room? That sounded problematic.

"Luz's daddy has to have everything neat and put in the correct places because he's blind, he gave a talk in our class," Lisa added.

He spotted Matt sitting across from a blond guy that looked vaguely familiar in meditation positions in a flourishing backyard. Hell, it wasn't a backyard as much as a fucking secret garden with high trimmed hedges and blossoming flowers in the wrong season. The house was overly neat but lived in with empty glasses and juice boxes on the table and stacks of books and shoes in designated corners. It was much more - expensive - than he expected since their trysts - no, coffee dates - had been in a shitty apartment beside a bright billboard in the worst part of Hell's Kitchen.

"I'll give the tour while Daddy finishes recharging Uncle Danny's chi, kitchen - living room - bathroom and the rest of downstairs is Daddy's office. Toy room is upstairs," Luz said without pausing in her trot toward to the stairs. Three cats, 2 calico and one solid white apart from tabby stripes on his tail, were lined up on separate steps and Luz stopped suddenly. 

"Kittens," Lisa whispered in muted excitement.

"They are all very good cats but if they are on the stairs it's a trap," Luz said.

The rattle of the sliding glass door made him twitch for his toolbox but Matt joined them and snapped his fingers three times and magically cleared the kittens from the stairs calling them to his side.

"Hey, Lisa, Frank. Sorry I was delayed," Matt said, parceling cat treats to the obedient cats who seemed to have a lot of plumpness to increase their fluff. He seemed to sense their confusion and Luz tapped her food impatiently.

"He had to train them to clear the stairs, social services has all kinds of rules. Come on, the daddies can entertain each other. I'll turn on the monitor."

"Monitor?" Lisa hesitated.

"We have all kinds of security cameras because Uncle Danny has money and Daddy starts fights with bad guys - its better than Leo and Zach's house because there's no sound and I can turn it off if Daddy's here," Luz explained as they hurried upstairs and disappeared.

Matt let out a sigh and took his glasses off to scrub at his face. "Long day, thanks for bringing her a distraction. Come meet Danny before he vibrates through the furniture."

Danny Rand was famous for his money and his kindness as well as his 'give no fucks about shoes' attitude but Frank hadn't pictured him as a friend - let alone best friend - of Matt's. Danny was a vegetarian Buddhist that ran a huge company and Matt was an ex- orphan widower who took more pro bono work than pay and partially owned a butcher shop. Maybe. He wasn't sure how the butcher shop fit in but Matt brought him free sandwiches on their second meet up.

"Its great to meet you, man, Matt needs new friends," Danny beamed at him and he had no doubt that the guy meant it. "Not sure how his Army friends will feel about him letting a Marine in the house without clearance but - "

"We're not soldiers, their rivalries have shit to do with me," Matt said. "You've met now fuck off - go finish thinking about your mistakes and stop snooping."

Danny didn't deny it, winking at Frank with a wave and giving Matt a hug that he was sure was 90% to annoy him and maybe 10% actual gratitude.

"If you're hanging around with Army guys then you definitely need better friends," Frank joked.

"They definitely keep me busier than my ex-Air Force clients, but I'll put you on the 'keep separated' list," Matt said. 

* * *

The girls were oddly quiet upstairs but the small TV screen in the corner showed them talking and smiling and not fighting or crying while Frank enjoyed grown up time with Matt - and not in a naked way. They never lacked for conversation and Matt was comfortable in his own space.

Frank missed Maria, would always miss her and Matt still spoke of his wife, both of them committed to making sure their kids never forgot their mothers. Frank still found his son hard to talk about, but he was doing his best to make sure Lisa knew he was missed, too.

A floofy mop of a dog trotted into the room and seemed to realize a stranger was afoot and began barking loud enough to rattle the pictures in the room.

"Jesus, relax, Paul - he's been here for hours and where were you?" Matt asked the dog, soothing him with a few pats to give him courage to assault Frank with affection.

"Lisa has lost six hamsters this year - I'm failing at this father thing if I can't get her a puppy for Christmas at some point."

"Danny helps a lot and if my law partners would stop bringing boxes of kittens and puppies over it wouldn't be an issue but allegedly my backyard leaves no debate for the ladies."

"So the garden's not your gig?" Frank laughed.

"I like it, but - shit, Danny bought this place as a gift for us before Claire died, she never got to see it but she always wanted a garden, had my old fire escape set up like an herb farm," Matt admitted. "Danny, Jess, and my law partners do the maintenance and I am not allowed to touch anything other than the vegetables and herbs for cooking under penalty of nag."

"What about Paul? Because I think he's been doing some digging," Frank said, addressing the muddy paws of the cream colored mutt.

"He's very dedicated to his craft and we love him for it," Luz announced with Lisa bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement behind her and to his surprise, not about the dog. 

"We're about to do our first trial run, come see," Lisa said, snatching his hand and tugging him to his feet.

At some point, Danny had joined the girls in the Toy Room but Frank had barely glanced at the monitor Matt had directed his attention to earlier. He was slightly shocked to see that the two girls had been setting up an elaborate and colorful domino display around the overcrowded and very pink room filled with stuffed animals and shiny robots.

"Daddy, you have to push the first one before Uncle Danny messes it up," Luz said, positioning Matt by the tall pink castle filled with plastic dinosaurs. Danny sighed dramatically and Lisa giggled, dragging him over to stand with Frank in the doorway.

He took out his phone and passed it to Lisa so she could record it for her friends _(and his - there were so many dominoes)_.

Luz pushed Matt's hand to the first domino and then stepped back to supervise the filming. "Action!"

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I had pieces of the Claire/Matt/Luz origins and the law firm and butcher shop stuff written out, but that story didn't come together yet because - fluff happened. *fluffs fluffy fluff*

  
"Luz might be onto us," Matt confessed over today's post-coital coffee and snacks. 

Shit. "Lisa's been oddly interested in my workdays recently too. What did we miss?"

"You fixed the door and put up the cat climbing wall for free and didn't say hello to her so she figured out you were over when she wasn't home," Matt said.

"I wore a different shirt to pick her up than the one I dropped her off in," Frank admitted. "Four times per her count."

"Shit. I honestly thought I'd have to deal with Danny or Marci figuring it out first, not Luz."

He's glad he put off telling Lisa the truth considering Matt's conflicted expression. "Right. Would they get a different answer?"

"I can't really tell my kid that I'm having great sex, home cooked meals and manhandling on the regular - "

Their arguments did end up in manhandling, actually - 

"But I like hanging out with you more than I like fucking you," Matt sighed.

Ouch. 

"I'm not breaking up with you, Frank, I feel like you're making a face," he said, swatting at him. "But maybe we should try going about this a different way, I mean, I can't break up with you if we're not going out but if you want - "

"I do want but - you know it's going to get messy. Lisa likes you now as her friend's dad but she might not like you as much as my date," Frank interrupted. 

"Luz tried to choke out a social worker that asked me out once - took months to get the shrinks to clear us after that. Sister Maggie's been pushing her on the matchmaking but - "

"She's your Ma, just call her your ma," Frank groaned.

"Don't start that argument until we finish this one," Matt replied. "Have you dated since - "

"No. You?"

"Fucked around, sure, but - "

"You're the only one since - now you're making a face," Frank frowned.

Matt slumped back against the pillow. "We need to be on the same page before we approach the girls. Luz likes you, but - "

"Lisa likes you, too, but - yeah." It kind of felt like a breakup until Matt laced their fingers together and kissed his knuckles.

"I'm not looking for a husband or a new parent for my kid, she's got three aunts and two full time uncles - and a Grandma on holidays, but - maybe, I can make room for a boyfriend."

"Oh. You know how that works? Because I haven't been a boyfriend in a long time," Frank replied. "But I'll give it a shot - with you."

"Let's figure it out. Tomorrow - I've got court in an hour and you're giving me a ride," Matt said.

* * *

The girls both had dance the next afternoon and Frank was keeping Matt company and repairing a 'malfunctioning bedspring' before retrieving them for dinner and possible discussion.

He was making progress with the bedspring - Matt was so bendy and enthusiastic - but both of them were too distracted to notice the security system - and Paul - had failed until the door slammed open.

"I know we were giving it six months because of our codependency bullshit but - just - please?" The thin brunette held out a squawling child with a desperate expression, ignoring all the nakedness in the room at the moment.

Matt took the baby after yanking a sheet over their legs and cradled it against his bare chest with a patient humming sound that brought the wail down to breathless hiccups. "Jessica, where's your husband?"

"Asleep in the backyard, Daniel hasn't stopped crying for days, we discussed dropping him off with the nuns just to get some peace. Why are you naked? Oh shit - are you fucking in your real house? Who approved this - "

"Frank, meet Luz's godmother," Matt said. "Jess, go take a shower and a nap - lock your door and maybe Luz won't find you as soon as she gets home."

She shoved a bulging diaper bag into Frank's hands before slinging their discarded pile of clothes at his face. "Watch your back, Stranger, I'll be ready to harass you thoroughly after I've had more than an hour of sleep."

She slammed the door on her way out but Daniel was settled and drooling under Matt's humming attention.

"So. Jessica Jones is married to Luke Cage," Frank stated as he pulled on his boxers and sweats and put the pieces together out loud. "Danny's the Iron Fist. So that makes you - "

"Get a warrant or fuck off," Matt said with a slow smile. "Retired, though."

Frank snorted. "Defenders backed up Spider-Man three nights ago in Midtown, it was all over the news. Wait - does Spider-Man mow your lawn?"

"Nonsense. It's a battle to get him to clean the gutters - but I got six months of free baby-sitting outta that trip to Midtown," Matt muttered. "Can you hold him a sec? I need to get dressed and check the nursery if they're calling off the baby ban."

He knew he was truly fucked when he dropped the subject of vigilante shenanigans to find out more about the six month 'baby ban'. 

The door swung open again to reveal Danny with pupils blown wide with shock. "You're banging Frank and you didn't tell me? Foul!"

"You've been fucking my law partners between flings for two years and you have the balls to call foul? Take it back," Matt replied.

Danny gasped dramatically but didn't deny it or take back the foul, making grabby hands for the sleeping baby that Frank denied with a warning glare. The kid needed to rest his lungs. "Can you check the nursery so we can get presentable? Or maybe get the kid's dad out of the garden?"

"Right. But cards out, Luz and Lisa both have money in the betting pool and me and Mrs. Lieberman have to agree on the date before the nuns will make the payout," Danny said, flailing his arms once and slipping out of the room on his new mission.

"I knew Catholic school was a mistake, she's going to have a gambling addiction before she gets to drinking - her college fund is barely enough for misdemeanor bail," Frank realized in a blast of knowledge.

"Priorities. Give me the new, untainted one and I'll hide him from all the sin," Matt laughed, taking baby Daniel and kissing Frank's lips chastely. "After I check to make sure they brought him milk."

"Wait, we can't punish them for gambling after we tell them we're dating - they'll turn it around on us."

"My daughter will have the option to make her defense and I will prepare for it accordingly, so we should probably get our case together," Matt called over his shoulder as he disappeared with the baby.

* * *

  
Frank liked Luke a lot more than he expected, and he definitely liked the effect he had on Danny; but he wasn't sure about Jessica.

She was abrasive and loud and handsy with Matt but at least she warned the room before 'popping out the titties' to feed Daniel. None of that would have been a problem if Matt didn't light up at her snarks and trade insults with her like they were the married couple.

It didn't fully explain the baby ban but he stopped counting how many times she passed Daniel to Matt instead of Luke so he had a feeling it might have been a reasonable idea.

"We all pitched in with Luz," Luke said when he caught him watching another exchange. "I mean, Danny the most because Matt asked him to move in, but we both had pretty permanent rooms here, too. Thought we would try to take care of Daniel on our own but - babies are a lot."

Jessica sprawled across his lap and curled up like a cat. "And the whole sobriety thing - you'd think it would be easier after nine months but I still can't drink while the spawn's on my milk. I'm not apologizing for cock-blocking you today, though - Matt's had his fun, time for him to be the responsible adult again."

"Nah, that's always been Luke's job," Danny called from the burping station in the kitchen.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Can't have the felon as the responsible adult, that's all Murdock. But it's interesting he brought you home."

"Met him at the single parent group, banged him at the group apartment, too," Jessica yawned. "Matt likes him, it's up to you to scare him off before I wake up since Danny fails."

Ah, the old apartment must be the Defender's meeting place now that Matt had a house. Frank was learning all kinds of things today.

"We were working up to telling the kids, I think maybe we both caught feelings we didn't expect," Frank said quietly as Luke petted his wife's hair until she fell asleep.

"Single serve lovers are all he's taken since Claire and he's never brought anybody here," Luke said. "Don't fuck it up."

"He's Lisa's Dad," Danny said, his namesake snoozing on his shoulder as he walked through toward the nursery.

"Oh, your daughter is goals," Luke laughed. "No wonder Luz has only been calling for 'girl time' once a day."

"She doesn't call Jess for girl time, she has Marci and Jen for that," Matt said, joining them. For a moment, he thought Matt was going to curl up in his lap but he took the cushion beside him instead. "But I could use Auntie Jess and Uncle Luke's backup for when we have the 'dating' talk tonight."

"Oh, we're not missing that," Luke grinned.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone is staying safe and sane out there - Give love to all the Fratt!week organizers and participants for bringing the :D feels in these dark times.
> 
> *Lyric tag and title belong to Lady Gaga.
> 
> _**I feel the unnecessary need to add that 'Luz' means "light" in Spanish and is pronounced "Luce" and Matt makes sure she speaks it fluently, usually only conversing in Spanish when they are alone together - she'll grow up thinking of it as a bond with her Dad because not a lot of her extended fam speak it, but Matt knows Claire would have raised her that way and it's his curse when she grows up to sound just like her mom when she scolds him for getting beat up._


End file.
